Jacob s



(ModeL) J. S. GIBBS. BLBGTBIG WITGH,

No. 517,100. Patented Mar. 27, 1894.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB S. GIBBS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGN OR TO THE PERKINS ELECTRIC SWITCH MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

SIECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 517,100, dated March 27,1894.

Application filed October 4, 1893. Serial No. 487.164. (ModeL) To all whom it may concerm Be it known that I, JACOB S. GIBBS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to those electric switches which have stationary contacts and movable poles that are advanced to make and break the circuit by the elasticity ofa spring that is made tense by the movement of the handle; and the object is to provide a simple, cheap and durable switch of this class which acts very quickly in making and breaking the circuit, so that alarge currentcan be carried on a small switch without danger of arcing or burning the contacting parts, and which makes sure and positive contacts between the conducting parts, that are not liable to become incapacitated by accident or constant use, and which are not exposed to the corroding action of the breaking spark.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a plan of the switch. Fig. 2 is a plan with the outer stationary contacts and the movable poles taken away. Fig. 3 is a "vertical section on plane denoted by line w,

m. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on plane denoted byline y, y. Fig. 5 is a plan of the block with the movable poles; and Fig. 6 is a detail side elevation of a portion of the handle-spindle with the movable nut and the locking ratchet.

In the views 1 indicates a base, which is usually made circular, of porcelain, wood, or any other convenient insulating material. On the face of this base are secured the contacts 2 and 3, of any desired conducting material. The contacts 2, have posts to which circuit wires can be connected by means of ordinary binding screws, and rigid plates 4:, that extend in the plane of the base at its surface; while the contacts 3, which have similar circuit-wire posts and binding screws, have spring arms 5, of conducting material, that extend outward from the posts above the level of. the base over the rigid contact plates 4.

Loosely supported by the base at the center, is a spindle 6 having a handle 7 by means of which the spindle may be rotated; and on the base about this spindle is a circular ratchet 8. The spindle is provided with a I screw thread 9, of any desired pitch, and on this is a threaded nut 10, that is preferably provided with wings 11, the bottom edges of which, when the nut is screwed down the thread, are adapted to make contact with the teeth of the ratchet on the base; while against the upper end of one of the wings thrusts one end of a spiral spring 12 that is coiled about the spindle and has its other end fastened thereto. Loosely supported so that it rotates with but moves sidewise independently of the nut on the thread of the spindle, is a circular block 13'of insulating material, which holds a pair of conducting poles 14, that preferably are free to move a little longitudinally in the block so that when the block is rotated to make the circuit, these poles will be turned so as to make a good solid contact between the rigid contact plates on the base and the spring conducting arms above the base. By means of this construction but one pair of spring arms 71 are required to force the movable poles'firmly against the stationary rigid contact plates; and these spring arms can be so long, and can trail in such a manner that they can have considerable spring play without danger of losing their resiliency or becoming bent, so as to be inoperative, by constant use. Thus, these spring arms will properly hold the movable poles to the stationary contacts, and the trailing arms can extend beyond the points of contact, so that the break will not occur at the points of contact, but will occur a little farther along in order that those points can be kept clean and free from the corroding influence of the breaking spark. 90

When the spindle handle is rotated, as the nut is held from rotation by the ratchet on the base, the spring is tightened and the nut is drawn up the screw by the threads. When the nut is drawn sufficiently far to free it from the ratchet teeth, it is thrown forward by means of the now tense spring, and thus carries with it the block with the movable loose poles, causing them either to make or break contact between the stationary rigid contacts on the base and the spring arms above. When the nut is thrown forward by means of the spring after being released from the ratchet teeth by running up on the screw, of course it runs down the screw and locks itself in the ratchet teeth next in ad- Vance.

lVith this arrangement a simple and cheap switch is produced which will carry a large current, as firm and solid contacts are surely made on parts which are always bright and clean; and the break is quickly made without any danger of burning the points of contact, and without any danger of heating, and weakening the spring arms, which are so formed that they will not lose their resiliency by constant use; and as the contacts are made regardless of the raised or lowered position of the nut.

I claim as my invention- 1. An electric switch having a base with stationary contacts, a rigid lock independent of any conducting parts and a rotary handle with a screw thread bearingatwo-part block, one part having conducting poles and the other part normally engaging with the lock on the base but adapted to be released there from by the rotation of the handle spindle, and a spring connected between the spindle and a portion of the block for throwing the block when the spindle is sufiiciently rotated, substantially as specified.

2. An electric switch having a base with stationary contacts and a rotary handle spindle with a screw thread, a threaded nut borne by the screw, a block with conducting poles loosely connected with the nut, a lock on the base for temporarily holding the nut and block against rotation, and a spring for rotating the block when the nut is released from the lock, substantially as specified.

3. An electric switch having a base with stationary contacts and a rotary handle spindle with a screw thread, a threaded nut borne by the screw, a block with conducting poles held rotarily with but movable sidewise independent of the nut, a circular ratchet on the base beneath the nut, and a spring with one end connected with the spindle and the other with the nut, substantially as specified.

4. In an electric switch in combination with abase having stationary rigid unben ding contacts, also stationary elastic spring contacts, a rotary block of insulating material bearing loose poles of conducting material extending from one surface to the other of the block and adapted to make and break metallic connection between the rigid and spring stationary contacts, substantially as specified.

5. In an electric switch in combination with abase having stationary contacts and a to tary handle spindle, a rotary block of insulating material borne by the spindle, and poles of conducting material loosely embedded in sockets in the insulating material with contact surfaces at each end beyond opposite faces of the block to each make and break metallic connection between stationary contacts as the block is rotated, substantially as specified.

6. In an electric switch in combination with a base having stationary contacts and a rotary handle spindle, a rotary block of insulating material borne by the spindle, poles of conducting material loosely embedded in sockets in the insulating material with contact surfaces at each end beyond opposite faces of the block to each make and break metallic connection between stationary contacts as the block is rotated, a lock for temporarily holding the block against rotation, and a spring for rotating the block when the spindle is sufficiently rotated to release the lock, substantially as specified.

7. An electric switch having a base with stationary contacts and a rotary handle spindle with a screw thread bearing an insulating block, said block being normally locked to the base against rotation but adapted to be unlocked from the base by the rotation of the screw threaded spindle, and poles of conducting material loosely embedded in sockets in the insulating material with contact surfaces at each end beyond opposite faces of the block to each make and break metallic connection between stationary contacts as the block is rotated, substantially as specified.

JACOB S. GIBBS.

Witnesses:

HARRY R. WILLIAMS, 0. E. BUCKLAND. 

